We’re sorry for the inconvenience, but why will you wear eyelashes in passport? Immigration ask Ayra Starr
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has apologised to Ayra Starr after the singer complained about her “embarrassing” experience at its office.
The music star took to Twitter on Tuesday to lament that she will not forgive officials at a passport office in Nigeria who asked her to remove her eyelashes before attending to her.
“This passport office people really made me just remove my lashes. I’ll never forgive y’all,” she wrote.
This passport office people really made me just remove my lashes 😭 I’ll never forgive y’all
— Celestial being (@ayrastarr) January 31, 2023
Reacting in a Twitter thread, the immigration apologised to the songstress for any “discomfort the compulsory removal of your lashes would have cost you.”
Good evening our Superstar, Oyinkansola,
We apologize as we understand how much discomfort the compulsory removal of your lashes would have cost you; and we hope that you find a place in your heart to forgive us.
However, rules are rules, and thus binding on everyone.
— Nigeria Immigration Service (@nigimmigration) January 31, 2023
The NIS also explained that the procedure is a global rule for data capturing at passport offices.
“We apologize as we understand how much discomfort the compulsory removal of your lashes would have cost you; and we hope that you find a place in your heart to forgive us. However, rules are rules, and thus binding on everyone,” it wrote.
“As it is a ground rule globally, when individuals, regardless of societal class, come for data capturing at any of our passport offices, they are usually always advised, informed and implored to present themselves as naturally as they most possibly can.
“The actual capturing takes less than 10mins; this is not so much time that cannot be sacrificed in getting the accurate biometrics of the individual. Unfortunately Nigerians, as it were, have always had to endure unavoidable embarrassments at various points of entry by virtue of carrying the Nigerian passport.
“It is not for us to add biometrics and facial recognition mismatch to the list. It’s also important to note that asides lashes, artificial facial enhancements/beautifications like contact lenses, eye-glasses etc are also part of what we ask our applicants to remove for the 10mins or less, it would take to capture their data accurately.
“Once again dearest Oyinkansola (@ayrastarr), we love you and appreciate how much your craft has helped to further improve and strengthen the Nigerian brand. We will not intentionally do anything to get you or anyone upset. No.
“Things of National security and identity cannot be RUSHed. We are BEGGIE BEGGIE-ing you that this our now sudden TOXIC love be reversed so there’s no IJA between us. Las las we all gather dey on a VIBES ON VIBES level.”